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English author turned digger William Howitt predicts the devastation mining will bring, courtesy of Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.Details

English author turned digger William Howitt describes a scene on the road, courtesy of Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.Details

Howitt, William (1792 - 1879)

Born

1792Derbyshire, England

Died

1879Rome, Italy

Occupation

Author and Traveller

A well-known author from a Quaker family, the 60 year old William Howitt set sail for the Victorian goldfields with his two sons in 1852. He had only moderate success as a digger, but his two-year stay provided material for a number of publications. Variously described by historians as an ‘earnest Quaker’ and a ‘self-styled radical’, his criticisms of the Victorian goldfields' system reflect his hatred of injustice. His interests were varied, and he can be found reflecting on everything from the destruction being wrought on the environment to the torment of mice and flies. An observant, literary participant in life on the diggings, his works provide an invaluable contemporary account of events.

Caitlin Mahar

References

Howitt, William, Land, labor and gold: or two years in Victoria, with visits to Sydney and Van Diemen’s Land, Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, London, 1855. Details